Article dispensing chute



May 25, 1948. H, J, SM1-TH 2,442,025

ARTICLE DISPENSING CHUTE Filed Sept. l5, 1943 2 Shee'S-Sheeb l l HG. Z. 4

NJW/1 f/HR v5 Y J SMI TH H. J. SMITH ARTICLE DISENSING CHUTE May 25, 1948.

Filed Sept. 15, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. )$67k vfy J SM1 7W it g.

Patented May 25,` 1948 Harvey J, Sprit-4h, 'Danvillef-V a., assigner tp 'Ira Barker, Greensboro, C."

Application-September 15, lfleerialflofgl preser1t-y invention .relates partcularlytc a y gilled dispensingy mechanism :fer l ya machine, and while-*the invention-is iniccnnecion with the vending of 1other n, I, the physical .embodiinenl exemplified egein Scl/especially designed for vending bettles Qghyeragles from-*the machine.

The p1'imary ,.cbject of tneinvenlgicnis-toprc.- .'i,cle.:a, l(signapactlyv arranged coin-controlled..- dis- 'ng ilinger/lari.ismwhich is Ysim-ple inccnstrncd reliable yin operation for controlling--the g vity mpyernent oa-column or row 0in-bottled, ggqads S21-Softdrinks Within the enclpsingeabio; A ne machine, and dispensing `the bottles, singly, to a purchaser.

v Il llfyllg ont vmy invention, means are prodqrfccntrollingthe mcvementof the bolides4 fggxnlsncessive vinterior storage chutesto agr-,av- Aity 'feed chute for aY-column of bottles-meneame, `arrestge rclnute,. a'nfeed chute, a bottle centrc-i1- dis han-ge chute, all within the cabinet, and 1'thebotftles are-dispensed, singly, to an- Jexf deliyeryfftrough readily accessible .top tl'ie.

purchaser. 4By .the utilization of ai duplex, .two-k S, @wiel-discharge Chute in CDmbinatOn-wth thaise@ chuieiandarresier chute, thamore ent athekbtftlsssfis positively contvolledfandgjam.-

psvenied, and lih elsnely dispensed boi. cles sh :remplit-ying drawing-,S Ihaveil-Iustraiied o pl'eteexample .of .the physical ,enribodi-y venlzinx;v tdidifferent `conditions .for use, withintnegsscope.- oil my A.claims Witzlfloui', departingrfrcm c nciplescithe invention. xvnfheraccompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional vewcoffa vending-f maehine n.whichz the ,dispensing -mechanismiof manutention been embodied', ,some parts -Vof4 AcabinetA being remitted .,:for .convenience fof illustration.

.I'Eignrecznis -an enlarged, detail, freni; elevationA ontneadispensins.,mechanism, as afi-lineA 2,.-2 ,zof Mierlifandfglooking in the-.directicn-,of theivar.

I afragmentary,detai1 isactionai-viewf oggpgnc-of-the discharge; chute, shoyvingsbvfdots;

aggenanged from transversefbrOadde, rollv myvlinvention Awherein ,the parts arec.on

Agi and arranged `according `no one Kmcvdelfor rf24 ted lines a bnttle in .,:pcsipinn,tov be v.zreleausedl v 'byg thelsecond-:stenoflthedual centrol, 1from :the :feed cnntefiainiandthreush Lthe disharseqchute..

H Figure 4-isa top aplanvview oi-theaiispensin-g by. A .dfd'dlines Emre?- fnQSiiQnsf-,of lgravit$60113/eyed tothefidelvelty;

- Chute extnd: f mereveil-pontilecabinet dew fthe; declining Cellini-1Q.l,amomaiieallyl opened-valves m'OYer f i, .r Wlsfof. nbtlesifrom thai swr-aga enmendar a up. href.- .ertcslifeedscnute-M,

n a .colummofffbcjstlesgot nuofafbestlesf Y of euremaneallyfopenina gaies .descamps-,tia miraban-,lathefboitiesfin; thcirstorase @chutes anexas;:.thefhegbifof the cclumnfdminiehes `the :snsessire gates are antosuccessivefstcragerchutesffrom the. beiten-down follow rhs..@remnant-buntes and acushionethe anvers fdrenfcff the; .-iqwermusi bomen he-.cglumn V#lfrcm tnegflower portieri-` of, .theifverticalfeed chneffrthezbetbleirollsnbmadside;lomransverselyuf.i

59;: the chute, into an arresten-chutefcxzrseeticnailzrnfi A the gravity dispensing chute. fixed arrester 'In this arrester chute the short row of bottles isV retained against the downward pressure of the weight of the column of bottles, but the bottles j are permitted to drop, one by one, into the lower end I2 of the arrester chute, which terminatesin' a feed chute I3 having an open mouth` or port I4, and bottom guide pad or cushion I5.l

From the port of the feed chute, the bottles roll, singly and by gravity into a declining gravity discharge chute having one end pivotally sup-f ported on the interior wall of the cabinet and itsv other, free end, supported at and opening to the open port I4 of the feed chute I3.

The movable discharge chute has its free end alined with the port I4, and it has two abutments,

spacedin vertical planes, which alternately are moved into the path of a rolling bottle as it tends to roll through port I4, and the dischargey chute is first lifted to release an upper abutment from the bottle and place a lower abutment in the path of the bottle, and then the dischargechute, or

its free end, is permitted to fall thereby releasing the lower abutment from the bottle and permitting the bottle to roll into the discharge chute. Simultaneously, the upper abutment of the` discharge chute drops into the pathway of another or second bottle tending to roll from the port,`

and this second bottle is retained in place until the free end of the discharge chute is again lifted. The discharge chute includesin its structure Va lower tray I6 having sidefianges' I1 tofguide A c. the rolling bottle B, and at its end remote from' port I4 the underside of the tray-ishinged or pivoted at 20 to the inner face of the cabinet wall. At itsv free end adjoining the port I4 the tray is provided with a resilient abutment 2| fixed in a holder 22, and the abutment is movable with the tray into and out of the path of a bottle rolling from thefeed porti|4 into the discharge chute.

`Whenfree to do so, the bottle rolls, transversely of the chute into the dischargerchute, butafter the bottle rolls into the discharge chute, its head portion or neck encounters a turning block 23, fixed by its holder 24 to the upper face of the tray and located in the path of movement -of' the rolling bottle..v The turning block retards the neck portion while the heavier, body portion of the bottle swings aroundthrough an angle of ninetyv degrees into a sliding longitudinal position with reference 'to the tray, andthe converging side flanges of the tray guide' it to delivery position.,l

wall of the cabinet as a support, `and the plane of the pivot or hinge is parallel with the hinge 2D of the tray I6. l The-cover is vertically spaced above the tray to accommodate a bottle, and its free end adjoining the port I4 is provided with a detent 28 retained in a holder 29 adapted to=oc cupy a position in the path of abottlegtendlng to roll through the port I4.

c 4 For jointly lifting the free ends of the trai and cover of the discharge chute which adjoin the port, and swinging the chute in a vertical plane on its hinges 20 and 21, these free ends are pivot- Y ally and loosely connected by two side links 30, 30 spaced exterior of the chute and loosely mounted on a fixed cross bar 3| disposed on the upper side of the chute. At their upper ends the links are ypivoted to the chute at 33, and their lower ends are pivoted to the chute at 32, sucient play beingV A -allowed at the several pivotal points to permit a swinging movement of the chute on a vertical s' plane with hinges 20 and 21 as centers of movement. @115 llfterbeing turned to longitudinal sliding position the'bottle slides through the discharge chute into a delivery trough 34 mounted exterior of the l cabinet, and cut away at its sides to facilitate access to the bottle for removal from the trough.

The trough is shown as having spaced flanges 35 fastened at the exterior and interior faces of'the wall ofthe cabinet, and the inner flanges proj vide hinge supports for theV dischargeV chutefas shown; The trough is also fashioned with a tubu= lar portion 35 integrally joining the ilangesj'an'd this tubular portion forms a channel through the wall of the cabinet for passage of thesliding bottle asY it is delivered to the trough.l Y g p For lifting and lowering the swinging discharge chute Ithave illustrated a center link 31 pivotallyv connected with'the cross bar 3| and also pivotally connected to one arm of a bell crank leverj38 which leverris conveniently pivoted at 39 Vina bracket 4D mounted on the feed chute adjacent 55 the port I4. A'

The other arm of the bell crank lever isslott'ed as at 4I for connection with suitable Vcoinf'conf trolled-mechanism through which the discharge chute is operated as described.

As herein illustrated a simple coinecontrolled mechanism includes a horizontally disposed non.- rotary push vrod 42 having ya push pin 42'-an'd provided with an exterior push button or Iknob 43,'and the rod is slidable in a box or sleeve-44V mounted in the wall of the cabinet, which Sleeve forms a housing for the spring 45 thatretracts the push rod when the latterris released.'V The push rod projects into the interior ofthe cabinet` I v and its inner end is provided with a telelscopingv extension or section 46 which slides in l-a bearing" 41 at the bottom of an upright coin tube 48 suitably mounted within the interior of theY cabi? net and adapted to receive the-coin deposited by a purchaser prior to pressing the knob-or button of the push rod. The coin falls upon pushv rod -42 in position to be engaged and pushed by the pin or'lug 42.,`and the-coin thus forms a coupling between rod 42 and its extension 4B. The tele? scopic extension of the push rod is valso slidable in a bearing bracket 49,Y which has a' suitable" 5 with the coin indicated as c.

Y The extension is fashioned with lateral trun-vl nions or a cross pin as 5Iy forY loose pivotal con. nection with the slotted arm of kthe bell crank lever, and it will be 'apparent that, in the presence 7`0v of the coin C, thepush rod and itstelescopic extension are'operatively coupled so thatfa push on the knob 43 actuates the coin-controlled" mechanism to operate the chute control mechanism. When the pressure on the knob 'isfreleased, the springs and the action of 'gravity co* operate in restoring the discharge chute to operative position for the performance of another dispensing operation.

By the utilization of the telescoping feature of the push rod a simple arrangement is provided to prevent fraudulent operation of the mechanism, as it is apparent the two sections of the push rod co-act only in the presence of the coin C.

As indicated in Figure 1, the cabinet is provided with a lower or bottom compartment containing a bottle rack 52` into which the empty bottles may be temporarily stored as the beverage is consumed on the premises, and a door D of the cabinet permits ready access to the rack.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a dispensing mechanism for a vending machine the combination with a fixed feed chute having an open port, of a pivoted discharge chute alined with the port and movable to obstruct passage of a bottle therefrom, a hinged detent also adjoining the port, single means for jointly withdrawing said detent and elevating the discharge chute to obstructing position, and said means being automatically releasable to permit passage of a bottle from the feed chute to the discharge chute and return the detent to obstructing position.

2. In a dispensing mechanism for a vending machine the combination with a fixed feed chute having an open port, of a pivoted discharge chute alined with the port and movable to stop passage of a bottle therefrom, a hinged detent also adjoining the port, means for jointly withdrawing said detent and elevating the discharge chute to obstructing position, said means being automatically releasable to permit a bottle to roll 5 broadside from the feed chute to the discharge chute and return the detent to obstructing position, and means in the path of the broadside rolling bottle for, turning the bottle to longitudinal sliding position in the discharge chute.

3. In a dispensing mechanism, the combination with a iixed chute having an open port, of a gravity discharge chute including a hinged tray, a complementary hinged cover, and pivotal connections therebetween, said tray and cover each having an abutment at its free end to alternately detain an article in said port, and operating means for jointly withdrawing the coverabutment from detaining position and moving the tray-abutment to obstructing position.

4. In a dispensing mechanism, the combination with a fixed chute having lan open port, of a gravity discharge chute including a hinged tray, a complementary hinged cover, links connecting the free ends of said cover and tray, said tray and cover each having an abutment at its free end to alternately detain an article in said port, a bell-crank lever mounted on the xed chute and operating means therefor, and a link operatively connecting the bell-crank lever with the gravity discharge chute.

HARVEY J. SMITH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 845,152 Weir Feb. 26, 1907 1,113,476 Osmer Oct. 13, 1914 1,734,191 Averill Nov. 5, 1929 2,212,797 Smith Aug. 27, 1940 2,304,484 Smith Dec. 8, 1942 

